The Earth Will Shake: The Historical Illuminatus Chronicles Vol. I

They have been with us throughout the ages: the "Invisible College" of wisdom and their adversaries, the destroyers. Naples, Italy, circa 1764: A young aristocrat is about to stumble onto one piece of the great pattern. As witness to a vicious assassination and victim of his passion for the beautiful daughter of his enemy, young Sigismundo Celine is forced to begin a mystical odyssey amidst an ageless clash of Freemasons, Mafia, and the Illuminati.

I read a number of very positive reviews, and that was the only reason I saw this one through to the end. The story was tedious and uninteresting. Aside from mentioning that the characters had ties to masons and illuminati, there was really no insight into either. The narration is what ultimately did me in; at no point did the narrator attempt to to give voice to any of the characters. I've heard more enthusiasm in a Librivox recording, and that is saying a lot. It ended abruptly in a very aggravating way, and there was nothing about this book that made me interested in moving on to book two.

What could Robert Anton Wilson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

More depth to the secret organizations was needed, not just depth in characters.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Scot Crisp?

Paul Michael may have assisted in making the story more audibly appealing. He has a great voice and I believe could accomplish the period speak much more successfully, and he definitely would have given the characters their own personalities, which this book needed.

The Butterfly Forest

After 40 years in San Quentin, Luke Palmer leaves with a state-issued suit, $100 dollars to buy a bus ticket, and a map that will lead to a promise and into the heart of a dark forest. College graduate student Molly Monroe is about to release rare butterflies not far from where the FBI used 4,000 bullets in a shootout to kill Ma Barker and one of her gangster sons in 1935. Molly snaps a picture that will frame something she never sees coming.

The story was well-written, and fairly fast-paced. No aspects of the story were left hanging--they got to the meat of the action in each scenario without you feeling as though you'd have to wait until the end of the book for the resolution. And the narration was superb. Michael David Axtell really understood the author's voice, and read accordingly. I'll definitely be looking for more narrations by Axtell.

Certain aspects of the story, however, seemed to fall a bit short of reality in regards to how certain characters dealt with and moved beyond the pivotal events. There was a bit of a laissez faire attitude by a female character towards a major event that took place; it clearly bothered her, though she got past it and made to move on a little too smoothly for my taste.

Beyond that, it was a good listen and I would certainly recommend this particular book to others. I'll definitely seek out other books by Tom Lowe (this was the first of his books I've read--I may have to look into books 1 and 2 in his Sean O'Brien series, this current title being book 3).

The Poe Shadow

Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. Everyone seems to accept the conclusion that Poe was a second-rate writer who met a disgraceful end, except for a young Baltimore lawyer named Quentin Clark, an ardent admirer who puts his own career and reputation at risk in a crusade to salvage Poe's.

I was first introduced to Mathew Pearl through The Dante Club, and absolutely loved it. I've listened to two more of his books since then, The Poe Shadow included, and while I felt the concept had merit, as other reviewers have indicated, the story was way too long. So many of the details could have been omitted without any harm coming to the story, and ultimately, I had a hard time caring about what was taking place. I kept waiting for a wow moment that would pull it all together and make it worth the length, but it never happened. The protagonist spent the entire length of the book fighting to uncover the mystery behind Poe's death, but the reason behind his obsession was never fully validated, in my mind. I won't give up on Pearl, but I won't blindly follow, either.

Fool Moon: The Dresden Files, Book 2

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is Chicago's only openly practicing wizard. He is also dead broke. His vast knowledge and magical skills are unfortunately matched by his talent for making powerful enemies and alienating friends. With little more than his integrity left, he accepts an offer of work from Lt. Karin Murphy of Chicago's Special Investigations Unit. He wants to redeem himself in Murphy's eyes and make enough money to quiet his rumbling stomach.

I wasn't even really looking for a book about wizards, though Jim Butcher writes the world of wizardry quite well. I was more interested in the werewolf aspect of the book, and I love the depth and diversity that he gave to the werewolves. Lots of legends accommodated. I really enjoyed it.

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein

Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary adventures... until the day their adventures turn all too real. They stumble upon The Dark Library, and secret books of alchemy and ancient remedies are discovered. Father forbids that they ever enter the room again, but this only peaks Victor's curiosity more. When Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is not be satisfied with the various doctors his parents have called in to help. He is drawn back to The Dark Library....

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.